leaves the ear unfatisfied, and in expectation of the remaining part of the verse. He, with his horrid crew, Lay vanquish'd, rolling in the fiery gulph, God,-with frequent intercourse, It may be, I think, established as a rule, that a paufe which concludes a period fhould be made for the most part upon a ftrong fyllable, as the fourth and fixth; but those paufes which only fufpend the fense may be placed upon the weaker. Thus the rest in the third line of the first paffage fatisfies the ear better than in the fourth, and the close of the fecond quotation better than of the third. The evil foon Drawn back, redounded (as a flood) on those From whom it Sprung; impoffible to mix -What we by day Lop overgrown, or prune, or prop, or bind, One night or two with wanton growth derides, Tending to wild. The paths and bow'rs doubt not but our joint hands As we need walk, till younger hands ere long Affift us. The rest in the fifth place has the fame inconveni, ence as in the feventh and third, that the fyllable is weak. Beaft now with beast 'gan war, and fowl with fowl, Of man, but fled him, or with countenance grim, The nobleft and moft majestic paufes which our verfification admits, are upon the fourth and fixth fyllables, which are both strongly founded in a pure and regular verfe, and at either of which the line is fo divided, that both members participate of har, mony. But now at laft the facred influence Of light appears, and from the walls of heav'n But far above all others, if I can give any credit to my own ear, is the reft upon the fixth fyllable, which, taking in a complete compass of found, fuch as is fufficient to conftitute one of our lyrick measures, makes a full and folemn clofe. Some paffages which conclude at this stop, I could never read without fome ftrong emotions of delight or ad miration. Before the hills appear'd, or fountain flow'd, Of Or other worlds they feem'd, or happy isles, He blew His trumpet, heard in Oreb fince, perhaps When God defcended; and, perhaps, once more If the poetry of Milton be examined, with regard to the pauses and flow of his verfes into each other, it will appear, that he has performed all that our language would admit; and the comparison of his numbers with those who have cultivated the fame manner of writing, will fhew that he excelled as much in the lower as the higher parts of his art, and that his fkill in harmony was not lefs than his invention or his learning. NUMB. 91. TUESDAY, January 29, 1751. Dulcis inexpertis cultura potentis amici, Expertus metuit. To court the great ones, and to footh their pride, Seems a fweet talk to thofe that never tried; HOR. But those that have, know well that danger's near. CREECH. THE SCIENCES having long feen their votaries labouring for the benefit of mankind without reward, put up their petition to Jupiter for a more equitable diftribution of riches and honours. Jupiter was moved at their complaints, and touched with the approaching miseries of men, whom the SCIENCES, wearied with perpetual ingratitude, were now threatening to forfake, and who would have been reduced by their departure to feed in dens upon the mast of trees, to hunt their prey in deserts, and to perish under the paws of animals ftronger and fiercer than themselves. A fynod of the celeftials was therefore convened, in which it was refolved, that PATRONAGE should defcend to the affiftance of the SCIENCES. PATRONAGE was the daughter of ASTREA, by a mortal father, and had been educated in the school of TRUTH, by the Goddeffes, whom fhe was now appointed to protect. She had from her mother that dignity of afpect, which struck terror into falfe merit, and from her mistress that referve, which made her only acceffible to those whom the SCIENCES brought into her prefence. She She came down, with the general acclamation of all the powers that favour learning. HOPE danced before her, and LIBERALITY ftood at her fide, ready to scatter by her direction the gifts which FORTUne, who followed her, was commanded to fupply. As she advanced towards Parnaffus, the cloud which had long hung over it, was immediately difpelled. The fhades, before withered with drought, fpread their original verdure, and the flowers that had languished with chilnefs brightened their colours, and invigorated their scents; the Mufes tuned their harps and exerted their voices; and all the concert of nature welcomed her arrival. On Parnaffus fhe fixed her refidence, in a palace raised by the SCIENCES, and adorned with whatever could delight the eye, elevate the imagination, or enlarge the understanding. Here fhe difperfed the gifts of FORTUNE with the impartiality of JUSTICE, and the difcernment of TRUTH. Her gate ftood always open, and HOPE fat at the portal, inviting to entrance all whom the SCIENCES numbered in their train. The court was therefore thronged with innumerable multitudes, of whom, though many returned disappointed, feldom any had confidence to complain; for PATRONAGE was known to neglect few, but for want of the due claims to her regard. Thofe, therefore, who had folicited her favour without fuccefs, generally withdrew from publick notice, and either diverted their attention to meaner employments, or endeavoured to fupply their deficiencies by clofer application. In time, however, the number of those who had miscarried in their pretenfions grew fo great, that they |